Teachers in the K-12 system throughout the province are gearing up for back to school in less than two weeks, and while schools will be open there’s a great “weight” on the system to keep it running.

That’s according to the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, Trent Langdon.

Langdon makes no bones about it—yes, there is a teacher shortage in the province that has been growing for some time, made worse by the pandemic.

He characterizes schools closing in June as a “pressure release” for the system, but says it is difficult behind the scenes to keep the facilities going.

He says there are teachers covering other classes, heavy workloads for specialists as those same specialists are being moved around to cover things off, and emergency supplies being used in some areas.

According to Langdon, areas, where such problems are most prevalent, are ones in more rural and remote areas.

He says teachers are excited to get back to school, but there is some hesitation because they know they’ll be facing the same challenges as when they left. However, they are focused on making the return as positive as possible.